Fox News will reinstall the Christmas tree torched by an unhinged firebug outside its Midtown headquarters — and won’t allow the “brazen act” to stop the company from spreading holiday cheer, the firm said Wednesday.
“We will not let this deliberate and brazen act of cowardice deter us. We are in the process of rebuilding and reinstalling a new tree as a message there can be peace, light and joy even during a moment like this,” Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said in a statement.
The new tree will be lit live on-air at 5 p.m. Thursday during the Fox show “The Five” as “a sign of resilience and hope in the face of a horrible act,” Scott said.
Craig Tamanaha, 49, is accused of setting ablaze the 50-foot tree — which was lit up during the network’s “All-American” Christmas special on Sunday. It was destroyed outside the building that houses Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post in Manhattan early Wednesday.
“The 50-foot tree, which was just lit in a beautiful on-air ceremony on Sunday night, was engulfed in flames and smoke permeated the building,” Scott said, calling it a “malicious arson attack.”
Nobody was injured and police and firefighters quickly responded, she said.
“We are very grateful to the FDNY which quickly mobilized to extinguish the fire and the NYPD which apprehended the criminal on site,” Scott added. “Our security team also did a great job responding to the incident immediately.”
She added that Fox is planning a ceremony to light the new tree, though it wasn’t immediately clear if it would be broadcast.
Police said Wednesday the alleged firebug was “emotionally disturbed” and didn’t appear to have ties to any political groups.